The "personalities" of different beans are revealed. From germination to grain formation, every step of growth requires careful care!

Soybeans, mung beans and broad beans are among our common crops, and they each have different ecological habits and physiological characteristics. These differences in characteristics will also affect their growth and development cycles, the type of climate they adapt to, and the type of land suitable for planting.

The whole process of soybean growth and development and the influence of environmental factors on the growth period

The life cycle of soybeans includes five key stages - emergence, seedling stage, flower bud differentiation stage, flowering and pod setting stage, and grain filling stage. The complete life cycle is about 60 to 120 days. It is particularly important to note that environmental conditions such as temperature and light have a great influence on the flowering time of soybeans. For example, in Jiangsu, if soybean varieties from Huaibei are introduced to Huainan for planting, the result may be premature entry into the reproductive growth stage, resulting in malnutrition. Vice versa, when introducing varieties from low latitudes to high latitudes, there may be a problem of only vegetative growth without pod setting. This will lead to a decrease in soybean plant yield. To this end, we need to select varieties reasonably, taking into account geographical differences, to meet the planting conditions cited by soybean varieties between high and low latitudes.

Ecological habits of mung beans

Mung beans originated in temperate and subtropical regions and are short-day plants, but they are not sensitive to light. Mung beans prefer warm and humid climates and are resistant to high temperatures. Mung beans grow vigorously when the average daily temperature is 30-36 degrees, germinate at 8-12 degrees, and the most suitable temperature for growth is 25-30 degrees.

The effective accumulated temperature required for the entire growth period is 1600-2400 degrees. After pod formation, the plant is afraid of frost, so below 0 degrees Celsius, the plant is prone to death.

Mung bean is not very demanding on soil, loam or calcareous alluvial soil is preferred, and it can also grow in red soil and clay soil. The suitable pH is generally not lower than 5.5. It tolerates slight acid and slight alkali.

Five stages of broad bean growth

From sowing to maturity, broad beans go through five important stages: seedling emergence, branching, budding, flowering and podding, and grain maturity.

The seedling period is longer than other beans, taking 8 to 14 days. Because the seeds are large and the shell is thick, more water is needed to promote germination. When the seedlings of broad beans grow to 2-3 compound leaves, they begin to branch. The length of a branch is about 2 cm. When 80% of the plants in the field reach the branching stage, it is judged to be in the branching stage. The early and late stages of this stage are determined by the temperature. From seedling to branching, it takes 10-40 days in the autumn sowing area in the south. The branching speed slows down when the temperature drops. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, if the sowing time is appropriate, broad beans can enter the peak branching period at the end of November.

When buds form at the main stem tips of most broad beans, it can be determined that this is the budding period of broad beans. The budding period mainly depends on the variety and climatic conditions. Under conditions suitable for planting in Yunnan, it takes 10-45 days from seedling emergence to budding, and the effective accumulated temperature is about 180-600℃. Planting experience shows that the height of broad beans during the budding period reaches 25cm at the vernal equinox, the early branch stems are 0.7cm thick, most plants begin to bloom, and the stems are strong and straight. It can meet the standard of broad bean nutrition accumulation.

The flowering and pod-setting phases are synchronized with the seed-filling and ripening phases. The flowering of broad beans can last for 50-60 days. The early, middle, and late flowering phases correspond to 30%, 50%, and 80% of the plants in the field blooming, respectively. Subsequently, the broad bean flowers wither and enter the seed-filling and ripening phases. The seeds gradually swell and grow. The ripening phase in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River is generally in May and June. It is important to note that when it is rainy and cloudy, the seeds should be harvested and dried in time to prevent the seeds from getting moldy.

Different beans have different physiological characteristics and ecological habits. For example, the growth period of soybeans is affected by environmental factors, mung beans are suitable for growing in warm and humid environments, and broad beans need to go through multiple growth stages to mature. Understanding these characteristics is crucial for growers, which helps growers develop appropriate planting strategies to improve the yield and quality of beans. Therefore, we should select bean varieties with strong adaptability and resistance according to factors such as their respective geographical locations, climate and soil conditions, and manage them properly so that they can grow healthily and vigorously.

Produced by: Popular Science in China to Benefit Farmers

Scientific Advisor: Xue Chenchen, Associate Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Zhang Xiaoyan Associate Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Huang Lu Assistant Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Co-ordinators: Liao Danfeng, Zheng Fengmao, Wang Changhai, Zhang Ruijie

Planning: Wu Yuetong

Editor: Yan Shuo (internship)